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Mini considers crossover model, will add stop start system

A Mini official has gone on record as saying that the BMW-owned automaker is interested in adding a crossover vehicle to the brand's lineup. According to a report in Automotive News Europe, Kay Segler, Mini's vice president of brand management, would not comment on details but is clearly enthusiastic about the prospect of adding a fourth model to the mix. The Clubman, the third Mini variant after the hatch and convertible, is coming later this year.In the March issue of Motor Trend, we outlined that a potential vehicle could now be possible using the latest Mini's slightly larger platform that affords greater bandwidth for such riffing, including the possibility of all-wheel drive.Hence, the beloved Jeep-like Moke and even a micro pickup truck variant now seem possible. The original doorless, canopy-topped Moke (an illustration of a what a new Moke could look like is pictured above) had its roots in military duty, but a new one would be aimed at crossover buyers in the U.S. and likely would be assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina, around 2010.Production could also fall to Bertone, the Italian coachbuilder who produced 2,000 examples of the GP edition Mini recently. Austrian four-wheel-drive specialist and BMW partner Magna Steyr would also be a possibility.Asked for a time frame on when a vehicle would be launched, Segler said to get back with him in 2009. We've put it on our calendar.Segler also mentioned that Minis with manual transmissions will receive fuel-saving stop-start systems in the future, although a specific timeframe is unavailable. BMW is adding a Bosch-sourced system to its new 1-Series cars, and it appears likely that the same system would make its way to the Mini.;